Monday, March 23, 2015

First and foremost, happy Spring, officially. The weather has been un-Spring like of late, but hey, on the calendar IT IS SPRING and hope is alive that warmer weather will follow.

In that vein and in no particular order, thoughts, events, and ideas that have sprung in recent days:

1. The actor booked an episode of Chicago Fire and it aired last Tuesday. The episode titled, "Forgiving, Relentless, Unconditional" is available on-line. He comes on-screen at about the 37 minute mark.

2. It is very weird seeing your kid now a man, on television. I thought seeing him on stage was weird (exhilarating, but weird) screen is that multiplied by thousands. More, even.

3. Mom's oldest sibling celebrated her 95th birthday a few weeks ago. I have a couple of cousins who are struggling to make it to sixty, by way of contrast.

5.. THIS:My life is a struggle of constantly wanting to go out and have fun with people and also simultaneously trying to avoid human contact.

6. It has been mentioned here before and you may read it again, and again, I LOVE potato chips. Well, potatoes in most any form, but chips--on me, oh my.. That said, I haven't had any potato chips in over six weeks. (Yes, I relapsed went on a bender). The loss was re-gained and now, on the way back down, again.

7. Saturday (over Sunday) was more conducive to riding and so I did. Not crazy fast (that isn't ever going to happen) or crazy far (only about 5 miles round trip) but good to be out, good to not have collapsed upon return.

Monday, March 16, 2015

My seventh birthday gift from my recently separated, soon-to-be divorced parents was a bicycle. She was blue. She had skinny wheels, zero speeds, but raced like the wind, as fast as my legs could pedal. This gift represented my first taste of freedom, from my brothers, from the block, from my seven year old worries.

I just rode.

The first, Samantha, had to be retired at some point in my early teens. I struggled mightily to earn enough to buy my next set of wheels. She was a second-hand number, black, and heavy. Not a good fit. I kept her for a season and then traded her for the wheels that carried me right through the rest of my time with my mother and brothers. When things got tense at home, I hopped aboard and rode, no matter the time of day. It was not unusual for me to be cruising the streets of Chicago at 3 or 4 in the morning.

I rode to ease my 15-16 year old worries.

Today, four decades later, being on a bike is still my solace. This weekend presented near perfect riding weather and so I rode. Loosened the limbs, freed some cobwebs.

Monday, March 02, 2015

A FB friend posed a kind of a question or challenge as her status: It's the first of the month. What are you going to do every single day for the next 31 days? New habit? Ritual? Same ole' thing? Spill . . . I didn't offer an answer on the post. But, have been thinking about it ever since I read it early yesterday morning. What am I going to do every day this month? For starters, since it is March and Spring (reportedly) is on the way, I shall be getting myself (and Melody)ready for riding. The goal and promise is to ride on every opportune day, 40 degrees or higher and dry. In the meantime, steps, steps, and ever more steps. 10,000 steps over icy, un-even ground is quite the challenge, let me tell ya. Additionally, I shall be delving ever so gloriously in the hearts, minds, and works of some extrordinary women with an eye toward igniting: create. I made a promise to finish the mandala project from January 2014 by the end of the first quarter of this new year. With seven plus the bonus left, 31 (now 30) days should just about cover it. Beyond the above, pretty much the same ole' same thing; work, try to play, keeping eyes on the prize, putting one foot in front of the other, taking it one day at a time. So, what say you? What are you doing with your March?